Advertisement

Every year the summer marks a special time in the northern hemisphere for when those hardcore anglers venture out in search of giant Blue Marlin . Generally migration patterns vary throughout the world but in many locations the calm summer days give way to some of the best chances at hooking into a greyhounding Marlin.

Marlin are voracious predators, and like all pelagics need to constantly eat to maintain their high metablolism. It is why you often find these giants hanging on the outter edges of remote islands or rising sea mounts. Some of the very best destinations around are those found in the farthest reaches of civilization. Places like the Hawaiian islands, Canaray Islands, the Azores, the Carribean are all prime destinations for Blue Marlin.

What is it about Marlin that gives us our great fascination with billfish? Blue Marlin ar among some of the most efficient and successful predators in the sea, not to mention among the very largest. Rumors of 2000lb Blues have circled the globe for many years and encounters have been sworn to have happened off the Azores. It is only a matter of time when a 2000lb Blue with nuke the fishing world with shear epicness.

So what has gone on this summer in the Marlin world? There have been some impressive catches coming in. One of the hotspots is Kona, Hawaiii. Earlier in the season a monster Grander came by way of Pelagic Pro Team's Capt. Jason Holtz .

Below: Another Grander comes once again courtesy of Capt. Jason Holtz

Jason Holtz is part of an elite group of respectable captains to have multiple granders under his belt. When nailing the impressive Blue aboard the 'Marlin Magic', it was just another accolade to add to his already impressive resume. Working with Capt. Marlin Parker is an absolute priviledge that any captain would appreciate. It is no wonder Holtz and Parker are the top names not just in Kona, but in the billfish world! Marlin fishing has been a long tradition in the Parker family on Kona. In 1954, George Parker (Marlin's father) landed the first grander Marlin ever taken in U.S. waters. Over 50 years later Marlin Parker continues the family tradition of big-game fishing off Hawaii. With countless years of experience and great friends such as Jason Holtz, the Marlin Magic Sportfishers remain top of the game in Kona.

Below: A Giant Marlin takes off to the races behind the wake of the boat...

Fishing has had a tough summer in some parts of the world though. No other area on earth has had a more destructive summer than that off the Gulf of Mexico . The Deep Water Horizon oil leak off the coast of Louisiana at the start of the summer has had a catastrophic effect on all types of marine life, including pelagic fish such as Tuna and Marlin. The area of oil that has littered the surface of the gulf is devistating as it blankets the surface denying light and oxygen to exist below. In return, this act as a major 'dead zone' like the notorious area just outside the Mississippi delta.

However, with the well capped, things look to improve, very slowly. Some fishing bans have been removed off Venice, LA and some families and companies are able to get their lives back on track. There are already reports coming in of Tuna catches which is a very positive thing. Being optimistic, nature always rebounds and comes back in due time. While the effects of the spill will likely linger for decades to come, there is still hope as the sea slowly spawns back to normal.

Below: A monster Blue Marlin continues its powerful fight right behind the transom.

Summer-time also means Tournament time! Billfish tournaments exists all along the northern hemisphere of the globe during the warm summer months. While some were cancelled in the Gulf due to the oil catastrophy, some did continue to roll on as Marlin were report in the the R.O.C., Texas Legends Tournament, and Texas International Fishing Tournament.

Below: The boys in Kona pull the winning tournament Marlin up through the Tuna door..

Back in the hotspot of things, Kona continues it's mainstream spolight with the various tournaments of their own including the Maui Jim series. Pelagic Pro Team Captain Teddy Hoogs wins Maui Jim tournament series in Kona, Hawaii. Also sharing in the victory was pelagic pro team "kaiwii Joe" Thrasher, whoworked the deck and handled the wire. With great teamwork and perseverance aboard the 'KILA KILA', these boys were claimed the 'new' series champions!

It is catches like these that continually motivate anglers to try day in and day out at targeting these mammoth fish. There were many great catches logged over the past 3 months all around the world, and these were just some to to get you thirtsy for more. Blue Marlin is and will forever will be the iconic gamefish of sport fishing. The 2000lb Big Blue Holy Grail is just a mattter of time away. She may surface anywhere in the world, and more importantly you could be there withness or even catch it. As long as you put your time on the water, the odds will give that you'll find your beast of a lifetime!